75 Years of Auto Mechanics

1968 Chrysler

In 1948 the Salt Lake Area Vocational School (SLAV) opened its doors to students for the first time, offering a handful of programs, including automobile mechanics. The classrooms at SLAV were designed to simulate the industrial shops at the time in Salt Lake Valley to meet industry standards. The automobile mechanics program was designed as a two-year pre-apprentice program to meet passenger cars and small trucks' essential maintenance and repair principles.

Project cars were introduced to the auto mechanic program in 1955, providing students in the various auto mechanic areas with hands-on experience working on a car. The project car consisted of the school purchasing a car that was declared a total loss, and students worked to restore it to the car close to its original condition mechanically possible to do. The project car was discontinued at the end of the 1973-74 school year due to inflation and the increased cost of auto parts.

By the 20th anniversary of the College, under a new name of Utah Technical College at Salt Lake (UTC-SL), the program became eligible for Associates of Applied Science (AAS). This meant that those students who went through the program were no longer earning a certificate, but a substantial degree upon completion.

Dennis O'Reilly, associate professor of Auto Mechanics, mentions the extensive evolution of the auto mechanics program has gone through over the years. "I obtained my AAS degree from SLCC back in 1978. The cars and technology we had back then are completely different from the current one," says Dennis. "Our program is designed to teach our students not only mechanics but to be excellent learners, as we are in an ever-evolving industry where adapting and learning is required to stay up-to-date, because what I am teaching today may not be applicable in five to ten years from today."

Associate Professor Dennis O'Reilly With His Students

By the year 2022, the majority of the automotive courses moved to Salt Lake Technical College.

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